SALVADOR
this is a great place to start your trip & get a taste of Bahia. This is a place full of history, tradition & color. The old heart of Salvador is the Pelourinho - a UNESCO heritage site with cobblestone streets lined up with very colorful colonial-era buildings. and probably where you will spend most of your time wandering around.
STAY Pestana Convento do Carmo [in Pelourinho this 16th-century Carmelite convent was converted to a hotel with a nice mix of traditional colonial style and modern comforts] Casa do Amarelindo or The Studio do Carmo Boutique Hotel [both 18th/19th century colonial mansions in Pelourinho]
EAT/DRINK O Cravinho [traditional spot for a cold beer, artisanal cachaças and typical appetizers; behind the restaurant is a courtyard with live music most nights of the week] Cafelier [great spot for a drink or just coffee and coconut water; also good sweets & snacks; great view over the Salvador harbor from the back terrace] Dona Mariquita [very small & simple restaurant serving tasty & authentic food] Maria Mata Mouro [good spot for moquecas or bobós]
You need to try the following typical dishes: acarajé [deep fried dough made from mashed beans which the skins have been removed; it is fried in dendé oil which is derived from a nut found on the dendé palm and it has a very strong and unique flavor; acarajé is usually eaten with small sundries shrimp or hot pepper sauce] vatapá [a paste made from sundries shrimp, peanuts, cashews, coconut milk and dendé - you can eat vatapá with acarajé] bobó or moqueca [stews, typically seafood, made with coconut milk and dendé; bobó is thickened with mashed aipim (manioc) and moqueca is not]
TO DO Sao Joaquin market [very authentic, although a little messy and pretty shocking at times - animals slaughtered as religious offerings. It's been there forever, and will give you a nice idea of what the city was like around the turn of the century. Hasn't changed much since then] Ribeira [eat lunch, moqueca, which is a traditional seafood stew in Ribeira, a working-class part of town on the water. Off the tourist track] Teatro Miguel Santa [folkloric performance] Visit a Capoeira Studio [dance-like art developed by African slaves as a form of resistance, always accompanied by the sound of a berimbau - single-string percussion instrument. It does not get more Brazilian than this! Associaçao de Capoeira do Mestre Bimba is one you can look for; also check-out Forte Santo Antônio Além do Carmo which is a former fort and prison but now a dedicated space for capoeira] Olodum Rehearsals [ask around if there are any rehearsals scheduled for this afro-group that plays incredible drums during the carnival season. They usually have rehearsals on the streets of Pelourinho. You can also look up Ara Ketu, Filhos de Gandhy or Ilê Aiyê - these are also afro-blocs] Solar do Unhao - MAM [former sugar mill with a Bahia restaurant & modern art museum. It does often have live music shows and is a great spot to watch the sunset] Beach [not the most amazing beaches, in my opinion, but if you are craving some beach time, you can check out Porto da Barra, Farol da Barra, Flamengo or Itapoan]
TRANCOSO
is possibly my favorite beach town in Brasil. Located outside of Porto Seguro, where you fly to, this place is wonderfully tranquil and magical. Its heart and soul is the 'Quadrado', the square. A rectangular patch of grass lined on both sides by colorful adobe houses dating back some 500 years, and punctuated at its far end by an all white small church. It could not be more picturesque. It is the gathering place for everyone in town: young, old, rich, poor, locals and tourists alike. The golden sand beaches are at the base of the cliff behind the church and walkable from the square.
STAY Capim Santo [this is where we stayed; great location at the Quadrado; sweet cottages and great breakfast] Uxua [if you can afford, this place is fantastic; each "casa" is uniquely designed by the creative director of Diesel clothing brand, but Bahian in style and handmade by local craftsmen & materials. Also located at the Quadrado] Calá & Divino Hotel Fazenda [if you want to spend a few nights at Praia do Espelho - more on that below]
EAT there are plenty of nice places to eat at, but unfortunately I did not write down the names and it has been a while.
TO DO Praia do Espelho [about 30 minutes from Trancoso. Even more remote, this beach is another little slice of paradise. We biked there through farms, rivers and jungle (Porto Mondo provided us with guides and bicycles and they were great). It is a must to have lunch at Silvinha's restaurant. You have to book ahead of time since it sits a very small group of people and she will cook the most amazing meal with influence from Bahia, India, Thailand. And the setting is unbeatable. After lunch we got shuttled back to Trancoso. Be prepared road since it's the bumpiest road you will ever be on, no exaggeration] Beach Time [just hang out at the beach if possible at Uxua's beach club. Comfy beds right on the sand, good acai bowls, salads, fried yucca and caipirinhas]
